At the age of 13, she gave birth to a child, and 18 years later, on her daughter’s birthday, she received a letter from the hospital, after which the girl’s father confessed for the first time that he was hiding the truth

I was afraid you would feel betrayed.

I was afraid you would want to contact them and that they might hurt you again.

I was also afraid that you would never forgive me for making the decision without you.

Emma lowered the page.

She felt a sharp mixture of gratitude, sadness, and anger.

Her father had protected her.

But he had also hidden information about Sophie's family.

He had made a decision that belonged, at least in part, to Emma herself.

She returned to the letter.

My darling girl, I told myself for years that everything I did was for your safety.

Much of it was.

But I must also admit that some of my silence came from my own fear.

I could not bear the thought of watching you suffer again.

Perhaps I forgot that protecting you did not give me the right to control every part of your story.